Flowers go wild in Lake Elsinore — and so do drivers

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Shirley Lee, of El Monte, enjoys the California poppies blooming along the hillside in Lake Elsinore, near the 15 Freeway on Monday, March 13, 2017. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

California poppies blanket the hillside in Lake Elsinore, near the 15 Freeway, as visitors enjoy the record bloom after the winter rains on Monday, March 13, 2017. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

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California poppies blanket the hillside in Lake Elsinore, near the 15 Freeway, as visitors enjoy the record bloom after the winter rains on Monday, March 13, 2017. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

Visitors hike up a hillside to see wildflowers blooming in Lake Elsinore, near the 15 Freeway on Monday, March 13, 2017. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

California poppies blanket the hillside in Lake Elsinore, near the 15 Freeway, as visitors enjoy the record bloom after the winter rains on Monday, March 13, 2017. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

Debbie Tiongson, of Eastvale, gets her photo taken with wildflowers along the hillside of Lake Elsinore, near the 15 Freeway, on Monday, March 16, 2017. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

A couple take their selfies along the hillside covered with California poppies in Lake Elsinore, near the 15 Freeway, on Monday, March 13, 2017. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

Christopher Roddick, of Torrance, gets his photo taken with blooming California poppies in Lake Elsinore, near the 15 Freeway, on Monday, March 16, 2017. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

Tammy Roddick, and husband, Christopher, of Torrance, lie along a hillside of covered with blooming California poppies in Lake Elsinore, near the 15 Freeway, on Monday, March 16, 2017 as visitors enjoy the record bloom after the winter rains. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

Garrison Christopher, 3, sits on the shoulder of his father, Joe, of Corona, as California poppies blanket the hillside in Lake Elsinore, near the 15 Freeway on Monday, March 13, 2017. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

A visitor takes photographs of wildflowers blooming in Lake Elsinore, near the 15 Freeway, on Monday, March 16, 2017. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

Blue dick flowers blooming along hillside in Lake Elsinore, near the 15 Freeway, as visitors enjoy the record bloom after the winter rains on Monday, March 13, 2017. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

Garrison Christopher, 3, sits on the shoulder of his father, Joe, of Corona, as wildflowers bloom along the hillside in Lake Elsinore, near the 15 Freeway on Monday, March 13, 2017. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

A blue dick flower blooming along hillside in Lake Elsinore, near the 15 Freeway, as visitors enjoy the record bloom after the winter rains on Monday, March 13, 2017. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

California poppies blanket the hillside as a couple make their way along through the blooming flowers in Lake Elsinore, near the 15 Freeway on Monday, March 13, 2017. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

Tammy Roddick, and husband, Christopher, of Torrance, lie along a hillside of covered with blooming California poppies in Lake Elsinore, near the 15 Freeway, on Monday, March 16, 2017 as visitors enjoy the record bloom after the winter rains. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

California poppies blanket the hillside in Lake Elsinore, near the 15 Freeway on Monday, March 13, 2017, as visitors enjoy the record bloom after the winter rains. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

California poppies blanket the hillside in Lake Elsinore, near the 15 Freeway, as visitors enjoy the record bloom after the winter rains on Monday, March 13, 2017. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

Mozart, a Chihuahua, takes a break from heat while owner Alejandra Pena, of Perris, visits the wildflowers growing along the hillside in Lake Elsinore, near the 15 Freeway, on Monday, March 13, 2017. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

Sensational vistas of meadows and hillsides carpeted with California poppies and other wildflowers in northern Lake Elsinore attracted droves of visitors and stopped bypassers in their tracks over the weekend.

Unfortunately, some of those bypassers were motorists were slowing down — or stopping — on Interstate 15 to glimpse and take photos of the phenomenon.

“I was stuck in it,” said CHP Officer Mike Lassig, who was off duty and returning through Lake Elsinore around 2 p.m. from the Los Angeles area. “I was stuck in stop and go traffic due to these people taking pictures of these poppies.”

Throughout the region, the wildflower bloom is one of the best in years. Waves of flowers in the foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains can be seen miles away in San Jacinto and Hemet. Social media is alive with photos of flowers from Sycamore Canyon Park in Riverside. And, of course, Walker Canyon in Lake Elsinore.

Lassig said the last time he witnessed people stopping on the freeway was a couple of years ago when it snowed in Lake Elsinore, Murrieta and Temecula. People were parked along the 15 freeway to play in the snow.

Then as now, the CHP has a message: Don’t do that.

“The highway patrol would like to remind people that they can’t stop on the freeway or on the shoulders or median,” Lassig said. “We ask people not to stop by the side of the freeway to take photos or get out of their vehicles to look at anything out there like these people were doing to look at the flowers.”

Not only is it unsafe to stop in a non-emergency situation, it is illegal.

“We want to encourage people to legally exit the freeway and park in a legal space,” Lassig added. “Then they can walk around and enjoy the poppies.”

Though the flower bloom may create a traffic burden, it has been a bounty to the city.

“It was spectacular to see,” said City Manager Grant Yates, who also got caught up in the southbound traffic Sunday afternoon. “With the drought, we haven’t seen that (wildflower bloom) for many years.”

Folks are coming from miles around to visit Walker Canyon, said Paulie Tehrani, who lives in nearby Alberhill Ranch.

“Everyone’s stunned,” she said of the reactions around town. “You wouldn’t believe all the people that are out here. It’s awesome.”

Lake Elsinore has long been an attraction for outdoor recreation as well as sightseeing. Now it can add wildflowers to the list.

“They’re calling it the wildflower tourist season,” Tehrani said of local merchants. “This is a really big deal for us. My view faces those hills, and it’s beautiful. It’s so pretty.”

She, however, had her own warning for canyon visitors: watch out for rattlesnakes and avoid stepping on Munz’s onions, which are on the state and federal endangered species lists.